dancing with death: mdma, pmma and other 4 letter words
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Dancing with Death:
MDMA, PMMA
and other 4 letter words
Mark Yarema, MD FRCPC
Poison and Drug Information Service
Alberta Health Services
AARC Community Intervention Series
March 15, 2016
Objectives
• At the conclusion of this presentation,
participants should be able to:
– Appreciate the structural similarity between
MDMA, PMMA and other amphetamines
– Compare and contrast the clinical features of
acute toxicity from MDMA, PMMA and other
amphetamines
– Describe the management of toxicity from
MDMA, PMMA and other amphetamines
Outline
• Case presentation
• Background
• Pharmacology
• Pathophysiology
• Clinical features
• Management
• Summary
Case
• 16 y.o. male at house party
• Overnight: ingested “8 Ecstasy pills”
• Not seen for several hours
• Next day: walking outside house, bizarre
behavior unconscious, unresponsive
• Paramedics arrive: cardiac arrest X 1 en
route to hospital successfully resuscitated
Hospital course
• Arrives in ED ~ 1330 hours:
–temp 43oC, GCS 3, sweaty, rigid
– arrests again resuscitated
• Labs 1400 hours:
– K 9.6, lactate 3.7, CK 731, Creat 141, ALT 57, Tnt 0.03
•Treatment:
– admitted to ICU
– sedated and paralyzed
– cooling blankets, ice, cooling catheter
Hospital course
• Temperature normalized after 12
hours of active cooling
• Develops: – Rhabdomyolysis
– Kidney and liver failure
– Cerebral edema
• Died 4 days after admission
Comprehensive urine drug
screen results
• Cannabinoids
• Amphetamine
• Methamphetamine
• MDMA
• PMA
• PMMA
Background
MDMA
• 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
• 1912 - first synthesized by Merck
• 1914 - marketed as appetite suppressant
• 1970’s/80’s - prescribed by psychotherapists
to help patients “search within themselves”
• 1980’s – popularity at raves increases
• Street names: “Ecstasy”, “X”, “E”, “Adam”,
“Molly”, “XTC”, “M&M”, “MDM”, “rolls”,
“beans”
PMMA/PMA
• PMMA: Paramethoxymethamphetamine
• PMA: Paramethoxyamphetamine
• 1973 – PMA fatalities in Ontario
• 2011/12 – PMMA fatalities in AB and BC
• Street names: “Chicken Fever”, “Killer”,
“Double stacked”, “Mitsubishi turbo”, “Red
Mitsubishi”, “Death”, “Dr. Death”
Locations of PMMA fatalities worldwide
•MDMA ● caffeine
•MDA ● lidocaine
•MDEA ● procaine
•MBDB ● ketamine
•mephedrone ● DXM
•2C-B ● DOB
•atropine ● PMA
•methamphetamine ● PMMA
•PCP ● cocaine
•pseudoephedrine
MDMA:
0 - 250 mg per tab
Pure Ecstasy?
Togni et al. J For Sci 2015; 60: 147-151
Morefield et al. Addiction 2011: 106:1293-1300
Vogels et al. Addiction 2009; 104: 2057-2066
Pharmacology
Amphetamine Methamphetamine
MDA MDMA
PMA PMMA
Structural similarities
MDMA: mechanisms of action
• Major:
– release of norepinephrine and serotonin from
presynaptic terminals
• Minor:
– release of dopamine from presynaptic
terminals
– inhibit reuptake of catecholamines via
competitive inhibition
– monoamine oxidase inhibition
Goldfrank’s Toxicologic Emergencies, 9th ed, 2011, page 195
synthesis
release reuptake
breakdown
agonism
Pathophysiology
Epstein et al. Scand J Med Exer Sport 2011;21:742-8.
MDMA and heat generation
• Multifactorial
– Drug dose
• “the dose makes the poison”
– Genetics
• ? Ryanodine receptor dysfunction
• ? Poor 2D6 metabolism
– Hydration status
• Activity, fluid consumption
– Environment
• Dance club, house, rave (“chill out room”), ambient
temperature
Parrott et al. Drug Alc Dep 2012;121:1-9
MDMA clinical features
Acute clinical features
• Serotonergic
• Sympathomimetic
• Dopaminergic
Serotonin Syndrome
Clinical Triad
• Cognitive Changes
– Altered mental status, elevated mood
• Autonomic Instability
– Hyperthermia, high or low BP, tachycardia,
mydriasis
• Neuromuscular Abnormalities
– Clonus (spontaneous or inducible,
wrist/ankles/eyes), hyperreflexia, rigid
extremities, shivering, startling
Boyer et al, NEJM 2005;352:1112-20.
Sympathomimetic toxidrome
• Vitals: tachycardia, hypertension, hyperthermia
• Mental status: agitated
• Pupils: mydriasis
• Skin: diaphoretic
• Bowel sounds: normal or increased
• Misc: tremor, seizures
Dopaminergic effects
• Psychosis
• Choreoathetotic movements
PMMA toxicity
• Compared to MDMA:
– Delayed onset of symptoms
– Higher incidence of seizures and
dysrhythmias
– Hypoglycemia (reasons unclear)
– ? Sodium channel blockade wide QRS
AB and BC PMMA fatalities
2011-12 Characteristic Result (N=27)
Median age, years 24 (range 14-52)
History of drug use, no. (%) 12 (44)
Time from exposure to death, hours 17 (5-264)
Median temperature on presentation, oC
39.4 (34-43.8)
Substances other than PMMA found in
patient at death
MDMA (27), cocaine (14),
methamphetamine (12)
Location of exposure Home (13), house party (9),
bar/concert (5)
Nicol et al. CMAJ Open 2015;3(1):E83-90.
Management
ABCDEFG’s of toxicology
• Airway
• Breathing
• Circulation
• Decontamination
• Elimination
• Find an antidote
• General management
Hyperthermia management
• Goal: core temp. < 39 degrees C
– Benzodiazepines for agitation and shivering
– Ice packs
– Cooling blankets
– Intubate, sedate and paralyze
– Cooled IV Fluids (at 4°C)
– Intravascular Cooling Devices
– Specific antidotes
• cyproheptadine, dantrolene
Cool it!
Pease et al. Int Care Med 2009;35:1454-1458.
Prognosis
• Predictors of outcome:
– Degree and duration of temperature elevation
– Longer time to initiation of cooling measures
– Multiorgan dysfunction (anuria, coma, CV
failure)
• Serial exams and serial imaging important
Take home points
• Variable content of street drugs
• Structural similarity between MDMA and PMMA
results in similar clinical effects
• Clinical triad: adrenergic, serotonergic, and
dopaminergic effects
• Rapid cooling and control of agitation mainstays
of treatment
• Prognosis related to degree and duration of
hyperthermia
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